"If it wasn't them, it was going to be another team" - Stephen A. Smith clears Browns for signing Deshaun Watson

It appears that the Cleveland Browns are the team with perhaps the most interesting story of the offseason. Their former number one pick, quarterback Baker Mayfield, is still on the team but doesn't want to be.

The quarterback that the Browns replaced him with, former Houston Texans signal caller Deshaun Watson, has (currently) 24 women alleging sexual misconduct by the former Clemson University standout.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith took to his show, First Take, to speak on how he does not blame the Cleveland Browns for taking a flyer on Watson, despite the current investigation.

Here's what he had to say:

“They can't offer him anything if the NFL says no one can offer him anything. The Cleveland Browns are concerned about the other 31 teams. That's what their concern is."

He continued:

"If it's the NFL's job to say, 'None of you get to offer him and that we're making this decision,' the NFL won't do it. All of these people are pointing the finger at the Cleveland Browns. If it wasn't them, it was going to be another team."

Smith finished his statement with the following:

"Their attitude is hell, at the end of the day, you're going to be killing us because we lose a football game. Our job is to be better than the other 31 teams in the NFL. If the NFL wants to allow us to sign Deshaun Watson then guess what? One of us is going to do it."

Smith is placing more of an emphasis on the brass of the Cleveland Browns making a football decision as opposed to a decision based solely on the investigation.

Cleveland gave Watson a record-breaking five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract.

How will Deshaun Watson's investigation impact the 2022 Cleveland Browns?

Deshaun Watson - Offseason Workout

The investigation into Watson's allegations of sexual assault will likely continue as accusers continue to come forward. This perhaps will cahnge the timeline for the NFL, as Commissioner Roger Goodell proclaimed back on May 24 that the investigation was nearing an end.

A grand jury in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal charges, but there is currently a civil suit that is ongoing. The NFL, despite no criminal charges being filed, has the authority to enforce discipline against Watson for violating the league's conduct policy.

On the field, this means that there is a great chance that Cleveland may be without Deshaun Watson for a specified period of time. The question remains just how much time he will miss, if any.

The quarterback did not play a single snap last season with the Houston Texans partly due to his legal troubles. There is now a realistic possibility that he could also miss the entire 2022 season.

Cleveland still have Baker Mayfield under contract and they signed veteran backup Jacoby Brissett in the offseason as well.

Mayfield has more experience but there has been a significant amount of animosity between the two sides over the team signing Watson to replace the former Heisman Trophy winner out of Oklahoma.

No one knows exactly what will happen next season with the team, but it is no longer a given that Deshaun Watson will come in and save the day for the franchise in 2022.

It will be interesting to see what happens next for the Cleveland Browns' quarterback.